How to help a friend? Possible anorexia?

[rachelbrrtt]

I'm concerned that one of my friends, that is a few years younger than me, is developing anorexia. She's started not eating lunch and she doesn't normally eat breakfast. So she's eating one meal a day, without snacking. But a very light one at that.

She's also started to say things like:

'I've lost 10 pounds since I started (softball) conditioning. Do you know what that means? Means I was fat before!'

When I told her to eat when she got home from school because I MADE her eat a banana for lunch because she was shaking from low blood sugar (that was all she had eaten since the day before, maybe)- 'but I don't want to get fat!'

And she's said other little, subtle things that just don't add up.

I don't know what to do to help her. I told her school's counselor, but she couldn't get anything out of her. I am seriously concerned but I don't know how to help her. Please help!

[GiniViv]

Tell her that you are worried about her behaviour towards food. If it gets worse maybe tell her parents that they should start looking into it. They will thank you for your concern and will start observing her, she does not need to know about this. Try and have lunch together that way she can't hide her eating disorder from you.

[Loon309]

The best thing you can do is leave her alone. Just let her know that if anything is bothering her that she can trust to talk to you and leave her alone after that.

[Klaatu51]

just show her pics of anorexic people and tell her "do you wanna look like that?"

i guess this might make her freak out

[rachelbrrtt]

But I don't think she thinks of it as being anorexic yet. Just that she's trying to loose weight.

She did eat a grilled cheese and cookie for lunch. But she said 'I don't know why but I feel fat now' before she even are any of it, just looking at it